Steve Schimmrich is a geologist and community college professor in a rural area of the mid-Hudson Valley of New York. All of the opinions expressed here are strictly his own. Sometimes he gets cranky and uses bad words.

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Just a picture of a black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) at Spring Farm on the Mohonk Preserve. This is from my hike a couple of days ago on Christmas Eve day.

Judging by birds at my winter feeder, chickadee populations have declined in recent years (although this year we seem to be seeing a few more which is hopeful). I like the little guys and love hearing their calls.

2 comments:

I live in Highland/Town of Lloyd. I have not seen any Chickadees at my feeder this winter. Only a few years back I had so many at my deck eating out of my hand. Do you think they have moved or are the populations truly declining?

It is a real decrease which has bee noticed around the Northeast. Some people have wondered if West Nile virus is to blame. Others have attributed it to swings in population (growth and then crash). I have seen any definitive answers.